TopWest Asphalt is a knowledgeable excavating and grading company with years of experience. We offer complete site package management, and we can perform all phases of your excavating needs, including demolition, grading, and earthwork. All of our work is completed with company-owned, state of the art equipment.
What Is Asphalt Grading and Base Preparation?
For any piece of asphalt, such as a driveway, to be solid and secure, two basic things need to happen. Without these steps, the asphalt will never perform to its optimal capacity.
First, the subgrade must be stable. This ensures that we build the asphalt on a solid foundation. Some locations have ideal soil that provides a firm, secure base. However, this is relatively rare. Most of the time, we need to install 3 to 6 inches of base to create the ideal foundation. Asphalt base is a stone aggregate material that we can tightly compact into a level, stable surface to hold the asphalt.
Next, the asphalt must be properly graded to drain and shed water properly. Grading is the process of carefully sloping the asphalt’s edges to ensure that water cannot pool. We also pay close attention to which way the water runs off, to avoid drainage to the house, garage, or other nearby buildings. In most cases, a slight pitch of 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch to one side or the other is sufficient grading.
Crowning is the process of creating an intentional high point in the middle of a long piece of asphalt such as a road or a winding driveway. This can be helpful in some cases, as it prevents water from pooling in the center. However, it can also have unintentional consequences such as creating erosion ditches on either side that can undermine the entire piece of asphalt. For this reason, we prefer not to use crowning unless strictly necessary. If we crown a piece of asphalt, we will take proactive steps to manage the direction of water runoff.
A job well done starts from the ground up. At TopWest Asphalt, we have the right skills, the right people, and the right equipment to handle the full range of excavation and grading jobs. At TopWest Asphalt, we are proud to be able to adapt to each client’s individual needs, and to work with our clients towards a successful completion of each project.
For quality done right, be sure to call TopWest Asphalt at 1-800-ASPHALT for your next asphalt job! We look forward to becoming your trusted asphalt contractor.